Community Connection: Winter 2011 Offerings & Kitchen Table Wisdom Story

January 2011

Hello

Community Connections

Warm greetings. As we welcome a new year we invite you into Christine Grace and Community. Our mission is "To transform mental health communities, strengthening our capacity to heal."

2010 was a year of transformation for Christine Gayler and Associates. We have a new name Christine Grace and Community , new Events, exciting Projects and new ways of connecting and building community Facebook .

Join us!

signature Christine's picture

We are delighted to Launch

Virtual Vitality our Distance Offerings

and Kitchen Table Wisdom our in Person Events

Our free monthly telegatherings

'Christine in Conversation with. . .' Virtual Vitality Events

Monday February 7^th 3:00 - 4:00 pm EST

Debbie Nicolellis, Program Director Psychiatric Vocational Rehabilitation Program Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation.

Learn about PVRCanada!

The teleconference is free.

To reserve a space e-mail your name to:

community@christinegraceandcommunity.com

Monday February 28^th 3:00 - 4:00 pm EST

Lorraine Nicholson, Perth, Scotland

Lorraine is an artist, poet, photographer and now

author of 'The Journey Home'. Hear her story.Visit her website

The teleconference is free.

To reserve a space e-mail your name to:

community@christinegraceandcommunity.com

Our first book club!

We'll read 'The Art of Extreme Self Care' by Cheryl Richardson.

Monday February 28^st - 8:00 - 9:30 EST launches the 4 part series. Each session I will guide you through three chapters and encourage you to take steps towards your extreme self care.

$30.00 per session or $95.00 for all chapters in the 4 part series

To register: Virtual Vitality Events

Recovering Our Lives - Kitchen Table Wisdom

by Christine Grace McMulkin

It was early evening in December. We came from down the road, over the hill and across the river - from Balloch, Helensburgh and Paisley. Some of us traveled farther - from Greenock, Kintyre and Perth. As we stepped into the Coach House Coffee Shop in the village of Luss, Loch Lomond, Scotland and introduced ourselves to one another, we shared our names, our towns and our respective roles in mental health - service user, carer or provider. Our hosts put the kettle on as we warmed ourselves by the coal fire. We closed the French doors, poured ourselves a cuppa, passed around the scones and gathered around the pine table. The ambiance encouraged us to leave the world behind for a few hours.

Our topic of conversation was Recovery - nurturing the Recovery through the practice extreme self care. We often acknowledge the importance of 'looking after yourself', but tagging the word extreme to the concept of self care implies something exceptional, something tremendous. Extreme self care means putting our self care above all else - making our self care our priority.

As our day unfolded and our conversation about extreme self care continued, we began to step out from behind our labels. We recognized that the message of extreme self care is a message for all of us. We became human and vulnerable as we openly shared the stories of ourselves and our lives. We were sensitive and compassionate as we acknowledged our challenges in practicing extreme self care. There was both lightness and depth to what we talked about. We learned from one another and encouraged one another. We left invested in: making time for ourselves and for what is most important in our lives; in restoring our energy and in taking steps towards strengthening our bodies, hearts, minds and spirits. We left having being reminded of what it is like take the time to BE and to BE 'amongst human beings.

Our conversations about Recovery and Extreme Self Care continue. Join our book club, our gatherings at the Old Mill in Toronto, our teleseminar series.

Book Club 'The Art of Extreme Self Care' by Cheryl Richardson beginning on February 28th and contuing once a month for four months.
'Nurturing Recovery through the Practice of Extreme Self Care' three session series once a month in March, April and May. Available in person at the Old Mill in Toronto as well as by teleseminar.

For more information: our website , my email or phone 416.628.4683

Join us! Send us a message or give us a call. The kettle is always on.

Christine Grace McMulkin

Christine Grace and Community

Strengthening Our Capacity to Heal

Canada: 416.628.4683

Scotland: 0141.404.6313

Visit our website www.christinegraceandcommunity.com for more information.